Ceiling Fan Control Using Just 1 Button

Hi all... I have searched and read the suggestions for fan control in other threads on this forum.... i.e. Use the cap from a standard 3 position fan control and two relay channels.... and that's fair enough.... But, the idea of using two buttons of an input unit to control a fan as suggested by one thread, or configuring a dim/ramp function to bring on the channels as required is not really what I want to do. What I would like to do is have one button that reacts to short presses in rotation like so....

1st press - channel 1 on (low speed)
2nd press - channel 2 on, turn channel 1 off (med speed)
3rd press - channel 2 on, channel 1 on (full speed)
4th press - both channels off (off)

I can't see a way to achieve this using standard gear. Do I need to learn about and invest in a PAC controller?

 

You will need a Ctouch or a PAC to do what you want. All currently available C-Bus key units can not do different things depending on the number of times you press a key.


The best I can think of is to program the single key to a one-key dimmer function, and program a number of relays to switch in at different level thresholds. By wiring to the fan with a different series impedance (capacitor)to each relay, you can make the speed vary in steps without any annoying mains hum (which you would get from a dimmer). Short press on / off, and long press ramps up / down the level. You could make an "upkey" function so that long presses always increase the fan speed, but short presses turn it on or off. You could "inch" the speed up with every press by setting the just press function to "upkey", the "short release" function to "offkey", the "long press" function to "endramp", and the "long release function to "idle". With this setup, any deliberate long press will increment the level of the group on the network by a fixed amount (determined by the long press time and the ramp 1 rate), and a short press will turn the group "OFF".

perhaps you can come up with a better way?

 

Whoa Don! ... Let me digest that Thanks for the ideas... I will have a play around and post results.

Cheers